Maintaining History - Darlene And Robert Pors

April 05, 1991|By MONETTE AUSTIN Staff Writer

If home magazines were published in the 18th century, this Smithfield residence may have been on the cover.

This century, however, it is the home of Darlene and Robert Pors and their business, Pagan Creek Restorations. Although Pors didn't restore the King's Landing home, it serves as an example of his capabilities.

``The last house we lived in was from the 1790s,'' says Pors. ``It didn't have a bathroom or a kitchen. We were really roughing it. We lived in that for about six months.''

Before the couple occupied it, however, there was work to be done. Pors says it was formerly a ``hippie house'' with several people living in. Motorcycles were often parked in the living room.

``And the stuff I scraped off of the walls ...,'' says his wife, with a grimace.

The Pors are used to moving in, cleaning up, restoring and moving on.

``We usually spend one or two years in a place,'' says Pors. ``We've (restored) and lived in six different homes.''

Originally from rural Pennsylvania, the couple moved to Smithfield to escape Philadelphia's urban sprawl. Virginia had always been a favorite spot, so Pors decided to move his 13-year-old business here.

``Darlene was getting tired of living like that,'' he says, as his wife nods in agreement.

The restoration is primarily Pors responsibility. His wife, a draftsman, occasionally designs for her husband, while looking for full-time work. She would also like to raise sheep.

``We used to raise Merinos. I'd like to raise Borderleicesters, though. They're smaller,'' she says.

Pors also concentrates his energies on drumming up work in his new location. He says in Pennsylvania there didn't seem to be a shortage of old barns and homes to be restored. He's done painting and historical stone and brick work. Pors even worked on the George Washington building in Valley Forge.

``We've done places that were completely destroyed,'' he says.

Some of his favorite projects include timber frame barns, which use the old-fashion technique of notching out wood to hold the frame together.